Dodgers' Roki Sasaki: Shaky in fourth rehab start

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Sasaki (shoulder) struck out two batters and allowed four earned runs on three hits and two walks in his rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He also hit a batter.

Though the 69 pitches (42 strikes) that Sasaki threw marked a slight step back from the 75 pitches he tossed his last time out Aug. 26, he was more efficient, which enabled him to reach five innings for the first time in four rehab outings. The right-hander wasn't quite as sharp as the Dodgers had likely hoped, however; two of the three hits he gave up left the yard, and he now owns an unremarkable 8:8 K:BB over 14 innings on the farm. The Dodgers are letting Sasaki get stretched out as a starter, but the big club wouldn't appear to have an opening for him in its six-man rotation. If Sasaki bypasses another rehab start and gets activated from the 60-day injured list, he could be deployed out of the bullpen.